Control
by KuroSakura-chan
Summary: Ryou and the others thought it was bad when the Shadows dropped them into Middle-Earth. But when Bakura's kleptomania acts up, things get much, much worse.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Control

By: KuroSakura-chan

Summary: Ryou and the others thought it was bad when the Shadows dropped them into Middle Earth. But when Bakura's kleptomania acts up, and he steals the One Ring, things get decidedly worse.

Category: Lord of the Rings/Yu-Gi-Oh!

Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance

Couples: (snicker) Those of you who read my YGO stuff, you'll get the usual couples, but as for LOTR, I don't quite know yet.

Warning: Swearing, Yaoi,

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, though I own several copies of each book, have read them all, have seen all the movies, have several Legolas posters, and generally am an all-around nerd when it comes to it.

…

-Bakura-

Damn, what a way to ruin my game. I knew I should've gouged Malik's eyes out long ago. He noticed the exact moment I took control of Ryou, despite my attempt at keeping Ryou's appearance. I can't help the slight changes I go through. But since I've been found out...

"Fear me, foolish mortals!" I shout, even though I know I'll be disappointed by the reaction. I am playing cards-well, I am now, Ryou was first-with Malik, Otogi, and Mokuba. They're far too used to me.

As expected, they simply stare at me boredly, then fold their hands. So they know better than to play against the Great Thief King. After all, there was a form of poker in Egypt, and I excelled at it even then. No one ever said I have to play fairly, after all.

"Really, Bakura, how long have you been lurking? I thought Ryou was playing too well today." Mokuba commented, handing his hand of cards to Otogi, who was putting them back properly. I prefer to just leave them laying out.

At any rate, since the fate of the cards is not really my concern, I turn to Mokuba, shaking my head. "I had nothing to do with that. Ryou won't take my advice, even if I offered it to him anyway."

"Not that surprising, really." Malik said, shrugging from boredom. "You're notorious for giving horrible advice, after all."

"So's Marik!" I respond hotly. "But you still let him takeover to fuck Ryou now and then."

Malik responds with the expected shrug and response of "Ryou wants it," but I am not paying attention. There is a shadow in the room that wasn't present a few minutes ago. It didn't seem normal, and when it moves, I spring forward, grabbing Mokuba. I throw him through the doorway leading to the living room, ignoring his protests.

"Don't let the shadows touch you, Mokuba! Get out of the house!" I shout, seeing the Shadows move toward the doorway. The kid scrambles up and out of the house, not questioning my orders. Good. I turn back to see Malik and Otogi clasping hands. Good. They'll be able to take comfort in each other.

"Who's doing it, Bakura?" Malik asks, and I think for a moment. The logical answer is the Pharaoh. But at the same time, he's the most illogical. When I feel the Shadows, however, it's obvious.

"Pharaoh." I answer, and the Shadows swallow us.

A white flash burned through my eye lids, startling me. I open my eyes, ignoring the loud crack that accompanies the flash. Thunderstorms don't exist in the Shadow Realm.

"Who do you think you're trying to fool, Pharaoh? 'Kura was with us the entire time!" I hear Malik growl, and then the Pharaoh's laugh.

"How could we trust someone like you, who's friends with him?"

I block my ears to the rest of the argument, noticing the fact that I'm sitting on soggy ground. In fact, it's raining pretty hard, too. I finally look around, ignoring the pain saying I hit my head.

We're sitting in an open area, the only tree around lying on the ground. Looks like I know what the lightning struck. I'm the only one still on the ground, Malik and Otogi standing near, but facing the Pharaoh, still arguing hotly. I don't even care that he's trying to blame this mess on me at the moment, because in the long run, no one will remember that it's his fault anyway.

The Pharaoh's mutt and Honda stand behind him, trying to look imposing or something. They should know that Malik and Otogi are far too unhinged o be affected, but they're still trying. Idiots.

Well now...I hadn't expected to see Seto Kaiba. Pharaoh sending me to the Shadow Realm I can understand, but his lover-boy? I mean, sure, Seto and I both know the Pharaoh knows Seto's sleeping with me on the side, but while I expected him to retaliate against me, I never expected him to attack Seto.

Before now, anything Seto did was all right in the Pharaoh's eyes. Apparently, even the Pharaoh has a limit, and Seto has finally reached or crossed it. I'm guessing that he ran across it though. Seto denies it, but there was no way the Pharaoh would be able to deal with Seto sleeping with me. He just seems to lose his mind when I am a part of a situation. He's always been that way.

I'm of the opinion that because I've been taking what is his for so long, he's eternally angry about it. Ryou, however, is taking a Psychology class, so he refuses to let it drop. I've actually been wondering if he's been listening to my thoughts when I'm not paying attention, because he keeps bringing up the fact that I've not sleeping with Seto simply because he belongs to the Pharaoh.

This kid is way too in tune with Death and the things associated with it for me to really lie to him. Before, when we were all still fighting, I could. That was because he wanted to believe my lies, so he did. Now, he doesn't. And thus, he knows when I am lying to him.

So now, Ryou drives me crazy whenever there's something he wants to know. ...Crazier, I suppose I should say, since it is apparently a well-known fact that I'm insane. Ryou usually cheerfully adds that if I went to a shrink, I'd be locked up immediately. Well, he's only cheerful about it until I remind him that if I'm locked up, he will be too.

But Ryou's latest spiel is that I'm in love with Seto Kaiba, and that it's obvious. So obvious, in fact, that even the Pharaoh has caught on, and hates me because Seto feels the same.

Hence my disbelief. Sure, Seto isn't the most forth-coming about his emotions, but there would be at least _some_ indication, wouldn't there? And so, Ryou and I routinely argue about this subject, and are nowhere near finding an answer. After all, I'm not asking Seto how he feels, nor am I going to say anything about how I feel. I'm not a woman.

Not that I'm admitting to feeling anything other than lust for him.

"Why don't you just ask him what happened?" Seto's voice drags me out of my thoughts, and I notice he's motioning at me.

The Pharaoh snorts. "Why? He'll just lie and say it wasn't him."

"So ask Ryou!" Malik shouts, clenching his fists. Marik is clearly getting annoyed with the argument and trying to get free.

"It's not important, Malik-" I begin as I push myself off the ground.

"See, even the Tomb Robber knows not to push it. Clearly, he's aware that we won't listen to someone who'll only lie."

Everyone froze at that. No one insults Ryou when I'm around and lives to tell about it.

"Ryou Bakura does not lie!" I snarl, launching myself at the Pharaoh, knife in hand.

The Pharaoh's eyes widen, but he didn't need to worry. I knew someone would stop me, I just wasn't sure who or why. After all, Seto has the boyfriend title to uphold, so that could be his reasoning. Malik and Otogi would stop me to keep the Pharaoh from Mind Crushing me, and Marik would stop me so he could try instead.

As it turns out, Seto stops me. Apparently, he hasn't filled his quota of "boyfriend moments" this month.

"Ryou Bakura does not lie, Yami. You know that perfectly well." Seto's words surprise me more than they do the Pharaoh, giving me a bit more insight as to why Seto might be here. If Seto has been defending me, which defending Ryou is a part of, then the Pharaoh would have quite a reason to be pissed. "Now, I suggest we go to that town and find an inn so we can get out of the rain."

Seto's arms stay circled around me, holding me in place, so I glare at him. "I won't stab your boyfriend in the back, don't worry." I slip from his arms, stalking towards the town. He had tried to say something before I escaped him, but I don't care. I'm still pissed that the Pharaoh would dare insult Ryou like he did. Bastard.

Getting a room at the inn was more difficult than Seto has ever experienced, I"m sure. It's good that Malik and I carry gold at all times, and that I have roaming fingers, or else we wouldn't have gotten a room. Wherever the Shadows dropped us doesn't accept the same currencies as our world. Wonderful. I can't even begin to think of why the Shadows would drop us in another world, let alone one that doesn't accept our currency.

Damn the Pharaoh for this new mess he's forced on us.

Not that he's even trying to find a way to fix this. He's gone to the room Malik and I paid for to dry off and keep Yugi from catching a cold. He made Seto join him, taking his mutt and Honda along, thus leaving Malik, Otogi, and I to figure out where the hell we are and if there's anyway to get back.

Unfortunately, even Yugi and the Pharaoh with their leather fetish and tri-colored hair would stand out less than the three of us. Malik's blond hair and sun-tanned skin added to my albino looks and Otogi's green eyes has stares trained on us from all around the common room.

Otogi looks fairly annoyed that he is not receiving as much attention, but I couldn't really care at the moment. I'm busy watching a loner who's watching what look like a group of kids. Only, these "kids" are drinking ale. If this place really lets their kids drink, than it's my kind of place, but somehow, I doubt it.

"Oi, 'Kura. What are you watching?" So Malik has decided to stop shoving his tongue down Otogi's throat long enough to watch me watching the loner. That's too bad; the two of them making out managed to get most of the stares averted.

I motion to the loner, and Malik's lavender eyes follow my finger. He raises a brow at me, as though asking why, and I shrug. I can't really answer as to why, but something tells me that watching him is important. Malik shrugs and turns back to Otogi, apparently planning to resume explorations of Otogi's tonsils, but is stopped by a surprise move on the Ring's part.

It phases through my clothes, shining brightly, the spikes at the end pointing at the "kids" the loner was watching. I look up just in time to see one of them have a falling ring slip onto his finger and disappear. So that's what the Ring wanted to point out. Couldn't have been any more flashy, though.

The entire room is alternating between staring at us and the one who disappeared. It is finally the longer that does something, though.

He begins clapping.

And continues clapping until the entire room joins in, a few cheers adding to the noise.

"I hadn't known you two groups were together!" The inn keeper says, walking over to the table with a few more pints that we hadn't ordered. "These are on the house for the entertainment."

I glance over at the loner, and he's with the person who disappeared. His eyes are trained on me, however, though he's speaking to the other person. So I grab my pint, stand, and walk over to plop down beside the loner.

A/N: Well now...First chapter down. Do let me know what you all think, and please keep in mind that I love the books more than I do the movies, despite the fact that the movies are amazing, and will, more often than not, refer to the books for something in this fic. Also keep in mind that it's a _fanfiction_ and will not always follow the storyline to the T.

Next Chapter:

-Aragorn-


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Control

By: KuroSakura-chan

Summary: Ryou and the others thought it was bad when the Shadows dropped them into Middle Earth. But when Bakura's kleptomania acts up, and he steals the One Ring, things get decidedly worse.

Category: Lord of the Rings/Yu-Gi-Oh!

Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance

Couples: Seto/Bakura, Seto/Yami, Marik/Ryou, Malik/Otogi, ?/Bakura,

Warning: Swearing, Yaoi,

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, though I own several copies of each book, have read them all, have seen all the movies, have several Legolas posters, and generally am an all-around nerd when it comes to it.

A/N: So you all are aware, Control is a fic that I have to write out completely before it gets posted. Thus, it might take awhile, as I am notorious for not being able to spend more than an hour working on one thing, and thus, I switch. Please understand.

…

-Aragorn-

Strider.

That's what they call me in Bree. I can't complain as I'm the one who gave them the name of Strider to use for me.

Though something tells me that telling this...wraith-like man that my name is Strider will not go over well. I'm not even sure as to why the man seems so important, but he does.

So when whatever he's wearing around his neck shines at the exact moment "Mr. Underhill" vanishes, I clap, as though it was just a great show, even though the man's companions look greatly surprised. The man himself doesn't, but I haven't seen his expression change from sullen throughout the night. Definitely not the type to let anyone know what he's thinking by his expression.

So focused on saving this wraith-like one from scrutiny, I almost jump when something backs into my legs. Schooling my expression to one of boredom, I reach down and drag "Underhill" up to sit beside me. I can't seem to make myself look away from the wraith, though, so I begin speaking to the hobbit without looking at him. "Well? Why did you do that? Worse than anything your friends could have said! You have put your foot in it! Or should I say your finger?"

I hear him open his mouth to respond, but the wraith is moving. He has picked up his ale and slipped from his seat, making his way to me. His crimson eyes are trained on me, and he sits without asking if his presence was desired. Not that I think I could tell him no without a reason he would accept. And I honestly doubt I could find a reason he would accept.

"So, care to explain what just happened? Or will I get a better answer as to why you've been staring at me?" He demands, taking a drink of his ale without removing his eyes from me. It is almost like he can see past all of my lies and other precautions. His tone is bitter, and I find there is one part of the ways he expresses himself that he cannot control. I simply need to listen.

"Underhill" bristles beside me, opening his mouth to respond, again. Unwilling to let him drive the wraith away, I beat him to speaking. "It is customary to introduce oneself and ask before simply joining another's table."

The wraith snorts. "Where I come from, it's customary to buy a drink for someone before staring at them so lustfully." I cannot help but color at the insinuation in his statement. "You can call me Bakura." He adds before I can respond, and I take a moment to think over the given name. To be honest, it feels as though he is giving his true name.

"Strider," I tell him. "and this is-"

"Underhill." The hobbit cuts in. He's apparently annoyed with being ignored.

Bakura's eyes shift from me to the hobbit. I feel both relieved and upset about no longer being the object of his attention. That gaze sees far more than it should. "Underhill" quivers under it before the red eyes are focused on me again. "I suppose that getting your real name would be too easy. Really, though, I feel insulted."

I honestly have no idea as how to respond to that. There is a darkness in his tone that makes me think the playful nature of the comment is untrue. Like he truly is insulted. And if he is, I have no idea as to how to fix it.

"Why don't you explain that light thing you did?" "Underhill," who is only further proving that he is Frodo Baggins by his attitude, demands.

Bakura turns to look at him again and smirks as he quails under the intense red gaze. "It was simply making sure I didn't miss your little stunt with that ring of yours."

I can feel the blood freeze in my veins. Bakura was not sent by Gandalf. He couldn't have been. Gandalf would have warned me. But...how does he know about the One Ring? Something about this whole situation is off...Like I'm missing several large pieces. Especially because Bakura doesn't feel tainted like servants of Mordor usually do.

Getting annoyed with our lack of responses, he rolls his eyes. He tips the last of his ale into his mouth and glances behind him, where a brunette, who I saw enter with Bakura, is approaching. Cursing, Bakura is out of his seat and the room without anything further. The brunette growls and follows after Bakura. Interesting...

Frodo stares after Bakura and the brunette, as does Bakura's companions. "What...was that?" He asks.

"That, Frodo Baggins, was a possible friend. Now go, wait in your room with your friends. We do not want anyone to take note of our association." The first part of my comment was only a guess. There is no way for me to truly know Bakura's intentions yet. Until I know him, I cannot know what he will do.

Frodo pales as I mention his name, and swallows. I think he wishes to ask me more, but I stand, making my way to Bakura's companions. I wish to know more about this wraith of a man, and though it shames me to admit, I wish to know more about the man who caused Bakura's sudden departure. And though I am unsure as to whether I will get the information I desire, at least my movement will make my words clear to Frodo. He will do as I have instructed.

Bakura's companions say nothing as I sit with them. I find myself unnerved as a pair of emerald eyes and a pair of lavender eyes focus on me. Why does Bakura look so different from even his companions? They all look...different, but he the most. And why can I not place their nationalities, despite having been all over Middle-Earth?

We all stay quiet, waiting for something to break the ice. Finally, the emerald-eyed one snorts and sets his chin in his hand. "Did you have something in particular you wished to as us? Or should we just ramble about Bakura for awhile?"

The lavender eyes switch from watching me to stare at the other. "You can't be serious, 'Togi. Bakura has enough on his plate with Seto and the Pharaoh!"

"Mm, but he can leave this one behind, should we find a way back."

I twitch, knowing I am part of this discussion, but being ignored. "Excuse me...How about we start with names?" I suggest. Two sets of strange colored eyes turn to focus on me, waiting. "Strider." I finally say.

The reaction is instantaneous. I cannot help but allow my forehead to meet my hand as the two fall from their seats, peals of laughter erupting from them. So much for not drawing attention to this discussion.

Lavender eyes are the first to focus on me again. As filled with mirth as they are, I can't help but feel like there is something darker in those depths. Something dangerous, warning me to be far more careful with this strange group. As though I wasn't being careful enough as it was.

"Malik." The lavender-eyed blond finally says. "My name is Malik, and this is Otogi. It is nice to meet you." Malik pulls himself back into his seat before dragging Otogi back up.

"We aren't stupid enough to believe your name is really Strider, but at least we know why 'Kura let himself be chased off by Kaiba, rather than simply use you." Otogi comments. "Besides, you probably have your reasons, yeah?"

"Of course, I do have my reasons-wait. Use me for what?" I ask, unsure of Otogi's meaning.

"To make Seto jealous, of course." Malik answers, picking up the conversation immediately. "Normally, he would never let that prick chase him off, but he probably felt insulted by your lack of honesty when he was being honest with you." Malik picks at the strange half-shirt he wears, which shares the color of his eyes, strangely, frowning.

"We should bathe, ne, Malik? I'm sure the Pharaoh and the others are finished, if Kaiba is free." Otogi leans forward, setting his chin on Malik's shoulder. It is...a rather intimate gesture, one I have not seen shared between males. Still, I find I am not disturbed by it. I can simply wonder if I will ever be able to share such with another being.

"Yeah. Let's hope Pharaoh isn't in too pissy of a mood, yes?" Malik and Otogi stand, their hands linking immediately.

I blink, jumping up to stop them from leaving. "Wait. What is between Bakura and the brunette?" I curse myself mentally. That was not how I had planned to say that.

The two look at each other and smirk before looking to me. "Love, hate. Who knows? Ra certainly knows that they don't. Why not try asking them yourself?" Malik shrugs, at least responding before he and Otogi leave.

I stay at the table for a moment before heading down the halls myself. I have a meeting with four hobbits still, after all. My personal curiosity will have to be quenched at another time. I realize that something is wrong the moment I step into the room, however. It's difficult to miss, with four panicking hobbits greeting me.

"The Ring! It's gone! We can't find it anywhere!" Frodo tells me, once I've managed to calm him to the point of understandable speech. "I had it right before that stranger sat down, and now, it's gone!"

I think back, focusing on all of Bakura's movements. I cannot think of a time where he would have been able to snatch the Ring, but... "I'll find him." I promise, leaving before he can demand to accompany me. I would rather meet with Bakura on my own.

Strangely enough, he wasn't hard to find. But before I can step into the corridor and announce my presence, he is shoved against the wall by the brunette, his hands pinned above his head. I am still unsure as to the brunette's name, though, and I determine to watch, as Malik said there was something between the two.

"You've been quite the bitch today, Bakura." The brunette growls, his ice-blue eyes glaring down at the struggling Bakura.

"Well, I'm in good company, wouldn't you agree, Seto Kaiba?" Bakura hisses, and I realize that the two people Otogi and Malik kept mentioning is actually the same man.

"I doubt it, as no one else summoned the Shadow Realm simply because they were feeling bitchy." Seto Kaiba responds. He continues, ignoring Bakura's snarl. "Where is Mokuba, Bakura? And why don't you just return us home?"

Bakura goes limp so quickly, I almost step into the hall before I realize what I am doing. "Mokuba is fine, Seto. I would never hurt the kid, nor would I allow him to be hurt." Bakura's tone is soft, submissive almost, but there is something beneath it, something hostile.

"Then just take us back. I'll ignore this, if-"

Bakura's angered hiss and knee to Seto Kaiba's groin has caught even me off-guard. "How dare you try to control me? I allow you to control me in bed, but let me teach you something. I'm no pet, nor am I a slave. You cannot control me. Nor can you control your relationship with the Pharaoh, which is why it is failing. Life is not going to bow to you, simply because you are Seto Kaiba. And even should it decide to, I never will. I will not be controlled any longer, especially not by a mere teenager who cannot see the truth in front of his face."

Seto Kaiba glares up at Bakura, who steps away from the injured male. "Maybe you'll learn to think about the lies you're being fed before demanding I bow to you. Goodbye, Seto." Bakura smirks coldly at him before holding up a small, golden ring, the Ring, and placing it on his finger, disappearing.

A/N: Yeesh, that took nine pages written out...I'm slightly bitter now...


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Control

By: KuroSakura-chan

Summary: Ryou and the others thought it was bad when the Shadows dropped them into Middle Earth. But when Bakura's kleptomania acts up, and he steals the One Ring, things get decidedly worse.

Category: Lord of the Rings/Yu-Gi-Oh!

Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance

Couples: Seto/Bakura, Seto/Yami, Marik/Ryou, Malik/Otogi, ?/Bakura,

Warning: Swearing, Yaoi,

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, though I own several copies of each book, have read them all, have seen all the movies, have several Legolas posters, and generally am an all-around nerd when it comes to it.

A/N: So you all are aware, Control is a fic that I have to write out completely before it gets posted. Thus, it might take awhile, as I am notorious for not being able to spend more than an hour working on one thing, and thus, I switch. Please understand.

…

-Seto-

"Dammit, Bakura-!" Even as I force myself to stand, I know I won't catch him. Still, I won't let myself wallow in pain, though Bakura definitely slammed his knee into my groin with enough force to keep a lesser man down for awhile.

As I reach out after Bakura, I notice the small ring he is slipping on his finger. The middle finger of his right hand, the importance of which is not lost on me. It's the finger he always uses to flip people off. Namely, Yami or I. Depends on who's pissing him off most at the time. No matter what finger he slips it on, though, I was not expecting him to vanish from sight. I can only stare, even as a dark body darts out of the adjoining hall, reaching for Bakura. The stranger has no idea of who he is dealing with, though, so he grasps only air where Bakura had been standing. Not that I have any idea as to where Bakura is now. He's fast normally, but now that he is invisible, there is no way we'll be able to catch him.

It's times like this that make me wish the Millennium Ring isn't the only Item that can track other Items. It makes tracking Bakura extremely difficult. After all, the only Item that can track the others is possessed by the person we want to usually track. The irony is not lost on me. One would think that the Puzzle could do it too. It really isn't useful for anything other than summoning Yami, and even _that_ is getting old, fast.

The other person turns to me, walking over, a frustrated look on his face. "Where is he going?"

"How should I know? He probably doesn't even know where he's going." I snap, turning to head back to the room. I need to give myself a moment to lie down. Bakura and I are going to be at odds about this for awhile. I do not appreciate being need in my balls.

"Hold on, you need to come with me." The man says, grabbing my arm. He starts to tug me along, and I growl, swinging at him with my right fist. He ducks my swing, yanking on my left arm. I'm thrown off-balance, but this hall is small enough that I can brace one of my legs against the wall while the other braces against the floor, keeping me upright. Of course, the pain of having my balls busted blossoms anew, and black spots appear in my vision.

He notices, of course, and uses my moment of weakness to yank on my arm again. This time, my legs refuse to brace, and I find myself face down on the floor. He quickly grabs my right arm and twists them both behind my back. He yanks me up and drags me along, ignoring my weak struggles. He has my arms in a tight grip against my back, and I am effectively kept from more than token protests. I seethe as he pulls me along, bitter that I was so easily overtaken. I have taken many years of martial arts, and in a fair fight, I don't usually lose. But, this man had Bakura's help, even if indirectly.

As we move down the hallway, I realize it's very quiet. Most of the people are likely to still be in the main room, so I suppose it makes sense. We turn a corner and come face-to-face with Malik and Otogi. They look mildly unhappy, so Yami must be having a bitch-fit again. Or still. Actually, it's probably the same one he was having when I left the room, so I'm going to assume it's the same one.

We all stop moving, my captor unable to continue on with Malik and Otogi blocking the way. I see something snap behind Malik's eyes as he gently pushes Otogi back. He uses his other hand to pull the Millennium Rod from behind his back while his hair stands on end. I don't know how it does that, but with this group, it isn't worth asking. Marik, now in control, holds up the Rod, his other hand reaching up to remove the sheath bottom(1). I haven't seen him use the Rod like this in awhile, since he prefers to use actual knives. Likely because of what the Rod's blade was originally used for, at least, with the Tomb Keepers.

Marik takes a step forward, and my captor's grip on my arms tighten. He must recognize that there is going to be a fight, and to protect himself, he'll have to release me. When Marik takes another step forward, he finally does release me. I step to the side, ignoring my body's desire to collapse. Marik pauses where he is, glancing over at me. I can see the anger in his eyes, but also the unsureness. Normally, Marik wouldn't hesitate, but Ryou has trained most of his murderous instincts out of him. And I'm tempted to let him kill this guy, but Otogi steps up an shakes his head.

"'Kura likes him, Marik. Let's at least hear him out first."

A/N: Sorry it's so short. It kinda just stopped writing itself, and I needed something to post today, so...-shrug-

(1): I'm using the Manga info. I did research.

Next Chapter:

-Otogi-


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Control

By: KuroSakura-chan

Summary: Ryou and the others thought it was bad when the Shadows dropped them into Middle Earth. But when Bakura's kleptomania acts up, and he steals the One Ring, things get decidedly worse.

Category: Lord of the Rings/Yu-Gi-Oh!

Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance

Couples: Seto/Bakura, Seto/Yami, Marik/Ryou, Malik/Otogi, ?/Bakura,

Warning: Swearing, Yaoi,

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor do I own Lord of the Rings, though I own several copies of each book, have read them all, have seen all the movies, have several Legolas posters, and generally am an all-around nerd when it comes to it.

A/N: So you all are aware, Control is a fic that I have to write out completely before it gets posted. Thus, it might take awhile, as I am notorious for not being able to spend more than an hour working on one thing, and thus, I switch. Please understand.

…

-Otogi-

"This is insane." Seto says, shaking his head.

"Seto is right." Yami adds from beside Seto. "You expect us to believe that the Tomb Robber has a magical ring of invisibility? How absurd."

"Really?" I murmur, only half paying attention to the conversation. 'Strider's' story is a lot to take in. "Bakura has The Ring, you, The Puzzle, Malik, The Rod, and you think a magical ring of invisibility is absurd? Need I remind you that you are a several thousand-year-dead Pharaoh inhabiting the body of a much too-short recent high-school graduate?"

"We also play a children's card game for the fate of the world." Jou ventures quietly, drawing a surprised look from Marik and a glare from Yami. "Well, we do..." He says quietly, shifting under Yami's glare.

"You're right, we do. So, how can we find this that weird?" Marik shrugs, turning back to Strider. "So, does this ring 'Kura has have a limit on time it can be used, or a way to track it?"

Strider looks thoughtful for a moment. "I've never worn it, so I don't know much more than you, really. As far as I know, the only reason to stop wearing it and ways to track it are one and the same. When someone wears the Ring, Sauron can see it and its bearer. Also, Sauron's minions, the Ringwraiths can track it."

I shake my head. "Those won't mean anything to Bakura."

"How about the Ring having a will of its own with which it will take over its bearer's mind?" Strider snaps.

Marik starts laughing at that, and I admit I cannot help but begin chuckling. Even Seto seems amused at the idea. I'm the first to calm, but I wait until Marik finishes, which only happens because he loses his breath, to respond. "Bakura's mind is, and always will be, his own. He's too smart, and stubborn, to give up his mental faculties."

"Even I have to agree there." Yami says, sighing as though very put-upon. "The Tomb Robber is certainly too stubborn to lose his mind to a gold trinket. He is, after all, already insane."

"Says the guy who mind-crushed a janitor..." Jounochi mutters, faking a cough when Yami glares over at him. Honda gives Jou a look and takes one step closer to Yami, which I find interesting. Jou notices my careful watching and shrugs imperceptibly.

I move my attention back to the serious matter as Strider shakes his head. "Well, I don't suppose any of you have a way to track _him_, do you?"

"Funny you should mention that..." Marik starts. He pulls the Rod from his back pocket. "See, Bakura has one of these. Except his is a Ring."

"That thing he wore around his neck?"

"Yeah. Well, they all have abilities. The irony is that the one person we almost always want to track is the one who has the Item with tracking abilities." Marik explains, and Strider sits in silence.

I know what he's thinking, I'm sure. How do we find Bakura, a master thief, when he can't be tracked magically? And it is a very good question. One I can't even begin to think of an answer to because we can't even guess where he's going. We don't know this world, none of us. Bakura is probably just wandering the wilderness, using his survival skills from when he was the Thief King, trying to put some distance between himself and Seto.

"How typical. He gets us into this mess, then leaves. I say we stay put and wait for him to come back, tail between his legs, when he can't find a way back." Yami finally says, shrugging. "You can retrieve your trinket, and we can force him to tell us how this happened."

Marik's eyes flash, and he opens his mouth, but Seto beats him to it. "That won't work. Bakura has survival skill and a streak of rage in him that can keep him from returning for months, if at all." The tall CEO stands, wincing slightly as he does.

"And the Ringwraiths will be back tonight. They know the Ring was used here twice tonight, and they will be hunting my companions until they learn of its new bearer. Your friend will not have been able to get through the gates tonight. I suggest that, if you all wish to find him, you come with us to Rivendell first." Strider stands as well, coming to about the same height as Seto. He and Seto eye each other for a minute before Strider turns and leaves.

Yami leans back on his hands. "I don't trust him, nor do I plan to leave here. Bakura isn't as smart as you all seem to think."

"Good luck paying for the room. I'm going to find him and Ryou." Marik says, glaring darkly at Yami. "Besides, we all know this is your fault, Pharaoh." He holds a hand out to me, which I take, and we walk out. As we go, I touch Jou lightly on the arm, and he turns and follows us without a word.

"Has something been going on, Jounochi?" I asked the silent, trailing figure behind Marik and I. He just shrugs. "Now, come on. You can tell us."

Jou sighs, but stays silent. I've just about given up on an answer when he speaks. "I have to work, you know? I can't spend all of my time playing a kids' game anymore, you know? I moved out on my own and everything, and..." He trails off, looking embarrassed.

"We understand, Jounochi. Ryou, Marik, Malik, and Bakura all have part-time jobs while I manage my stores. Life isn't a walk in the park." I say, reaching back to pat his arm.

"Wait, Ryou and Malik work too? I mean, I've seen Bakura and Marik working. You're a bouncer, right?" Jou looks up at Marik, who nods.

"'Kura bounces and dances as well as bar tends. He gets bored if they leave him in one position too long, so he rotates. Malik's a dancer. I'm surprised you didn't know. You were there one of the nights he worked." Marik grins as Jou flushes.

"So, er, what does Ryou do?" Jou asks faintly, and his eyes seem to be begging for it to be a "normal" profession.

"Watches the Kaiba brat and works at a flower shop." Marik answers. The relief on Jou's face is nearly laughable.

"What do you do?" I ask, curiosity winning over planning.

"I work part-time as a cashier and mechanic..." Jounochi mumbles.

"Don't be embarrassed. Work is work, you know?" I say, shrugging. "And if you ever find yourself in need of a place to work-"

"I don't need charity." Jounochi snaps.

"It isn't. You're known as a good player, Jounochi. It would be good for my stores to have you. This is a business decision, not a handout." I reply sharply.

"You're both forgetting that we need to get back first." Marik says. Bakura, or rather Ryou probably, has been rubbing off on him. While still far too insane to really be allowed in society, Marik has calmed down and started to _think_, to plan.

"So..." Jou starts, looking nervous about something. "Bakura really didn't do this?"

Marik shakes his head. "Ryou, Malik, Otogi, and Mokuba were playing poker. Say what you will about Bakura, but he will not put Mokuba in danger. Not for anything. And I won't put Ryou, Malik, or Otogi into it if I can help it. That leaves the Pharaoh."

Jou curses under his breath. "No offense, but if that's the case, why are Kaiba, Honda, and I here for?"

Marik and I glance at each other. He shrugs, and I sigh. "Yami is rather vindictive, as I'm sure you're seen. He's calmed down, but when Bakura is involved with a situation, he loses his calm." I begin, and Jou nods in acknowledgement and impatience. "Now, Bakura has been worryingly behaved when it comes to the Pharaoh...except where Kaiba is involved. In his growing anger over Kaiba's continued affair with Bakura, every little annoyance has likely been thrown into this giant ball of hate. Something probably threw another piece of lint on the ball, and it went up in flames."

"So...I'm here because my need to survive mildly annoys Yami and Kaiba and Bakura's fucking drove him to the breaking point?"

"Basically." Marik confirms.

"Huh. Well. One last question, then. Why a piece of lint?" Jou asks, looking at me oddly.

I shrug. "Lint is very flammable."

Jou opens his mouth, likely to ask more, but Marik motions for us both to be quiet. His head is cocked, and I think he is listening to something. He confirms this by stepping beside a door and waving us over. I press in close next to him, and Jou stays a bit away as a lookout.

"-_am_ the real Strider, fortunately. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will." Strider, no, Aragorn, says through the door.

"We must get the Ring back from that evil man!" Someone else says, sounding panicked.

"Quiet, lest you bring the inn upon us!" Aragorn says in a harsh whisper. "We will retrieve the Ring, after I take you to Rivendell. And the man is not evil, just driven by impulse and anger. He meant no harm."

We move away from the door and a ways down the hall before Marik turns to me, shaking his head. "We never said that."

"I know." I sigh. "Let's find a place to sleep. We're going to need it." As we walked slowly back to our room, a small person ran by me, but we did not investigate. It wasn't our problem.

A/N: So, I've found writing at work helps me get shit done. So, yeah. Work=more chapters. Imagine that, ne? R&R, please.


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